Countess Country Park marks 10th anniversary with community celebration

Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire and Chester Zoo Chief Executive Jamie Christon was the guest of honour at a special gathering to mark 10 years since the Countess of Chester Hospital Country Park officially first opened to the public. 

The popular green open space celebrated its milestone anniversary last week with a small tea party that was open to all volunteers and community members who have been involved in the country park over the past decade.  

Also present were those who had been responsible for the original vision, fundraising and the design and planning of the park, which was officially opened by Queen Camilla, then Countess of Chester, on 12 September 2014.  

Situated within the grounds of the Countess of Chester Hospital, the park is jointly owned by the Land Trust as well as the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust and NHS Property Services.  

Over the past decade, it has become a haven of tranquillity for nature lovers in the community and impressively, it has retained the prestigious Green Flag Award for the seventh consecutive year, signalling to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards and is impeccably maintained.  

Raising the latest Green Flag at the park's anniversary celebrations, Mr Christon, acting on behalf of King Charles in his Deputy Lord Lieutenant capacity, praised The Conservation Volunteers and Friends of the Country Park for their hard work over the past 10 years.

He said:

“This brilliant, vibrant space is a shining example of creating positive outcomes in local communities and has brought many people hours of joy,"

"The hard work of everyone involved, including the Land Trust, the Friends, the volunteers and Chester Zoo, have made this possible. 

"It's wonderful that just a few minutes outside the busy city centre you have this beautiful and calming space that allows people from all outlooks of life the chance to connect with nature," 

The anniversary celebration was also an opportunity to highlight significant improvement works to the park made in recent months by construction partners IHP, who are currently working on the Trust's new £110m Women and Children's Building. 

These include a new path to the Memory Milk Bank site, a new hard standing area next to the Ranger cabin and repairs to the entrance of the overflow car park. 

Andy Scargill, Chair of the Friends of the Countess of Chester Country Park, said:  

"The country park has been a cherished part of our local landscape for the past 10 years, serving as a peaceful retreat for hospital staff, patients and the local community.  We are so grateful to IHP for their generosity in making these improvements which will ensure the park is well-prepared to continue serving its visitors for years to come."